Why do MBA students call themselves candidates?

The first thing would be to understand what is the meaning of candidate. Candidate implies a person who is appropriate and most likely to get a particular position. MBA studies is basically concerned about management studies and making decisions in administration activities. Hence even though there are theoretical case studies and emulations to be done by MBA students, the key part is the ability of the  MBA student or more precisely speaking, the candidate who can make such managerial decisions. Read More...

Why Is MBA In Finance Considered To Be Harder Than MBA In Other Specializations

MBA Colleges in India

MBA is one of the most sought after courses in India for professionals seeking a successful career in the corporate world. However, choosing the right field of specialization is extremely important to ensure consistent career growth for the candidates in the chosen niche. In this respect MBA with specialization in finance is a preferred choice amongst aspiring professionals, even though it is considered by many to be more difficult than other specializations. The belief arises from the simple fact that the specialization in finance at MBA colleges in India is generally offered in a different form from other specializations. Read More...

What Are Recruiters Looking For When They Ask Why MBA After B Tech?

MBA program

Over the past couple of decades, it has become quite common for engineering professionals to opt for an MBA program. This has led to the interviewers frequently asking such students the reason for seeking an MBA after gaining education in a technical field. Sadly, a large percentage of engineers are unable to answer this question in a satisfactory manner as they are generally clueless about the how this degree would impact their career in the long run. The best way for engineering students to answer this question is to gain information about the following benefits of doing an MBA after their undergraduate studies. Read More...

SCMS Cochin School of Business maps international management trends to offer the best Management education in India

Management education needs to continually evolve to meet the challenges of today’s disruptive and uncertain economic environment. SCMS Cochin School of Business continually evaluates and updates its curriculum to ensure that the graduates of the institute are world-class leaders. Recognized as one of the best MBA colleges in India, SCMS Cochin has identified the key challenges management education faces in 2015.

     ·         Digital Transformation: Convergence in the new digitized world has thrown up new learning curves, both for organizations and management professionals. It is becoming imperative to focus on courses, including digital marketing, social media marketing, and digital media planning and buying. New media has changed the business landscape making new media literacy an imperative for global leaders.

     ·         Follow the flow: Emerging economies are lucrative to established businesses and they are shifting to these countries. These businesses need to be agile in order to be able to profit from this window of opportunity. SCMS is trying to map this requirement by preparing management students with:

-          Conceptual frameworks to understand cross country differences

-          Openness to foreign cultures and ideas

Problems faced by organizations are due to the inability of managers to deal with these shifts in the markets. Contemporary management education should cater to these requirements.

     ·         Fresh approach to problem solving: To succeed today, managers have to possess the ability to reframe problems in order to find optimized solutions. Human-centered innovation is another key trend this year. It will continue to grow as ‘individualism’ in the field of innovation becomes a focus. It is now necessary to move from rhetorical to critical thinking to find innovative solutions.

     ·         Learn by doing: Management schools like SCMS have realised the importance of experiential learning. SCMS curriculum has built in live-learning ecosystems to ensure interaction with entrepreneurial projects.  Other ways of creating these learning systems are SIPs, incubators, events etc.

     ·         Social responsibility: Corporate social responsibility is an essential part of a sustainable business strategy. Management schools have the responsibility of stimulating thoughts and discussions around socially important issues.

SCMS Cochin School of Business has been identifying gaps in management education, ensuring that students understand the emerging business milieu before they leave campus. 

Minu looks forward to her role as a Tax Consultant with Deloitte

A firm believer in destiny, Minu Varghese Cherayath is glad that her family moved to Kerala after living for many years in Surat, which is where she graduated. That’s because it gave her an opportunity to look for B Schools in God’s own country, and SCMS Cochin School of Business is the name that popped up wherever she looked. The decision to attend SCMS Cochin was a no brainer for Minu. The institute has given her the best possibility to pursue her PGDM goals, and this has led to an enriching academic journey, culminating in a placement with a prestigious name like Deloitte. Read More....

Chandana P K talks about how her institute groomed her as a well-rounded professional

Chandana

“My academic journey with SCMS Cochin School of Business was the one thing that made me reach my goal. It served as a foundation for me to achieve my career objective.” These are the words of Chandana P K, who came to the institute to pursue her management aspirations. Today, she has bagged a placement as a Tax Consultant with Deloitte, a top global brand. This is a dream come true for Chandana, and she feels an immense sense of gratitude for the contribution of her B school.  Clearly, Chandana was on cloud-nine when she heard of her placement. She describes the excitement, saying, “I had tears of joy knowing that I had joined such a reputable firm. There was also a sense of accomplishment, knowing that I had made my parents and institute proud.” Now, she is geared up for the challenges ahead in her role as a Tax Consultant; and, she believes her team-player abilities will be called on at work. Read More...

Aparna gets placed with Deloitte and shares her mantra of taking aim and reaching her goals

Aparna gets placed

“My journey at SCMS Cochin School of Business might have been tedious but it was exciting because I know it built the platform for my career. It was more like a pre-job experience where I had to handle multiple tasks and be responsible for my own actions.” These are the words of Aparna R, who has finally realized her lifelong career dreams. She has managed to bag a prestigious placement as a Tax Consultant with Deloitte U.S. India Ltd. This achievement, after years of hard work, has her on cloud nine. Read More....

How to evaluate MBA colleges in Kerala?

MBA in Kerala has become a topmost priority of every student in search for better career prospects. Indeed, MBA brings stars to one's career. This is the reason there is a presence of a number of MBA colleges in Kerala. But the dream of each and every student is to get the admission in top MBA colleges. Let's have a look at the checklist which can be of great help in evaluating the MBA colleges:

·                    Look through the college guide

A college guide is a book which comprises of the details of all the MBA colleges and also the top rankers. When you flip through this book, you can get the valuable information about the different programs which are offered by the top MBA colleges in Kerala as well as their cost structure. In a nut shell you can gain information on each and every aspect of the college, even its campus and hostel culture.

·                    College website

MBA becomes an easy task when you bask in the valuable inputs from different sources before banking upon one of the best MBA colleges in Kerala. If you are not satisfied with the information available on the college's website, you can visit the college and get for yourself a brochure. The top MBA colleges in Kerala print the promotional materials for students and parents. By analyzing the website as well as the brochure you can access the relevance of the curriculum and in what way it can be of a help in your career path.

·                    Counseling sessions

Before selecting the top MBA colleges in Kerala for pursuing MBA in Kerala you can also request for some counseling sessions. You can talk to the administrative staff of the MBA colleges in Kerala and also with the students who are pursuing studies in those colleges. Talking with the students can give you a transparent view of the insights of the college.

·                    Placement opportunities

There are many colleges which claims to provide the best placement opportunity, but when you take admission for MBA, the situation is upside down. Hence make sure that before getting admission in the Best MBA, you do in depth research about its placements. For this, talk to the alumnus as well as the present students.

The guide for selecting best MBA program

Are you planning to get into one of the best MBA colleges in India? Different MBA programs have different value propositions to their credit. Therefore, you need to indulge in a serious evaluation before deciding to pursue any of the MBA programs which are conducted in different MBA schools. Below you can find a helpful guide for selecting the MBA program. Read further:

1.                 Extensive research

If you are keen on pursuing an MBA degree make sure you choose the right one. There are two types of MBA- General or Specialized. General MBAs have been there for some years, but nowadays there is a trend of Specialized MBAs. Both of these MBA programs give a different outlook to the students, so it is up to you which one you want to go for.

2.                 Your goals

You are pursuing MBA in Cochin to pursue certain career goals. Thus, your choice of MBA program should be such that it aligns itself with your career goal. If your career goals and your MBA program choice have no link, then your career path is certainly going in a wrong direction.

3.                 Learning style-Online or campus

On campus learning has its own charm; it not only enhances your interaction with your peers, but also provides you with knowledge of different domains which you gain from interaction with both professors and peers. Online MBA courses are economical and evolving. Both of the choices are good, all depends upon the time dynamics.

4.                 Curriculum of the B-school

Gaining an idea of the curriculum of the MBA school is a must before selecting and MBA program. This can be done by glancing through the brochures and interacting with the student representatives. There are a lot of online forums of different B-schools and MBA programs, keep a tab on the happenings there to gain an idea about the curriculum and other networks of the MBA college. You can also get an idea about the placement opportunity from the same.

Go Getter survey list of 2013- 2014 includes some fresh names from the dynamic and changing B-school scenario of India

MBA Colleges in Kerala

The education sector in India has grown tenfold in the last decade. And with growth has come competition and confusion. Aspirants face endless struggles to understand which institute offers them the best road to academic success and employability. While an MBA from IIM still holds immense value, many brands have emerged with not only strong names but also proven talents. In such a competitive environment, The Go-Getter and collegecampus2corporate.com have released their 2013-2014 survey results for the top B-schools in the country. All B-schools were invited to participate in the survey and over 150 institutes expressed interest to be a part of this exercise.

The All India B-School survey 2014 consists of a participatory and perceptual survey of various stakeholders in management education system. A structured questionnaire was sent to 150+ B-Schools across India. They were short-listed by recognizing the last two years’ rankings done by Go-Getter magazine and by identifying institutions that have emerged in the recent past.  The entry criterion of a minimum of two batches passed out by 2013 was kept in order to filter the newly established institutes. Finally, 65 institutes were ranked based on the following parameters: infrastructure, industry interface, placement, entrepreneurship, global exposure, faculty, research and writing, curriculum and pedagogy and so on. Based on the survey, all the B-Schools were ranked under SUPER - LEAGUE, A+++, A++, A+, B+++, B++ and B+ categories.

This year the survey continued to show that although IIMs around the country still rule the roost, fresh names have joined the prestigious list. Few of them are SCMS Cochin, Accurate Institute of Management & Technology, Institute of Management Studies, to name a few. The school has been a trendsetter in management education since 1976 and has managed to develop remarkable innovations in its course curriculum. It is important for a B-school to have strong industry interface, not only in terms of placement, but also from the perspective of creating a syllabi that is industry-ready. The survey revealed a huge gap between top institutes like SCMS-Cochin and other institutes when it comes to strengths like consultancy services, faculty to student ratio and strong pedagogy. Faculty industry experience is another strong characteristic of institutes that were ranked amidst the top.

A strong research program needs to fully develop in order to keep curriculums up to date and in line with changing trends in education and business. There is a lot of important research being done at B-schools across India. Many of which earned a top placement in the survey. Research also enables an institute to bring forth its faculty strength in national as well as international domain.

SCMS-Cochin earned a high ranking for its dynamic business school pedagogy. Focusing on problem solving in various business functions, the institute’s pedagogy includes case studies of teaching, group research projects and real-world simulations. This provides a well-rounded, real-world applicable business education. The institute was also one of the new entrants in the Super League list of six B-schools, placing it amongst the top B-schools in the country.

Studying MBA in India is definitely a better idea

At present studying abroad especially MBA has become a fad. More than the course structure or the university, the word ‘abroad’ plays a vital role among the students and their parents. MBA is a comprehensive degree that enhances your career and boosts your ability to achieve higher at work. It has nothing to do with going abroad and studying.

In fact, there are many proficient MBA colleges and B-Schools in India that has better curriculum and prospects than abroad schools. Yes agreed, most of the top notch MBA schools of the world are in abroad but India is not lacking behind either. Doing MBA in India vs. Abroad has quite a few advantages. They are;

•   MBA in India teaches the business ethics followed in the country which you might not grasp if learnt abroad
• Studying in your home country gives you the added security and freedom
•  MBA in India’s fee structure is cost effective when compared to international B Schools
• You will be guided to different corporate for training and internship. The organization structure and business management varies in each country. Therefore, if you study MBA in India, acquiring a job and molding into it will be easier.
• Indian MBA courses are completed in 2 years where in abroad the program is very short. Studying in India will give you wider scope and knowledge as the time duration is more. You will gain more practical knowledge as well.

      All you have to do is select a MBA college which trains you in all aspects of business management, a college that concerns with the student’s welfare and growth, that teaches using modern methodology and techniques and provides you more practical and in job knowledge. 

      

      In India, MBA collegesin Kerala are well reputed and highly established.

Mr. Prem Kumar, CEO, Eastern Condiments shares his over three decades of management experience in a session that hits the right notes with students of SCMS Cochin School of Business

It’s not very often that students from B Schools get to interact with industry stalwarts with over three decades of experience. But that’s exactly what happened during the Industry Institute Interface (III) session held recently at SCMS Cochin School of Business. Students had an opportunity to listen to and gain from the experiences of Mr. Prem Kumar, CEO of Eastern Condiments. And needless to say they utilized this opportunity to the fullest. 

Eastern Condiments is one of the biggest brands in Kerala and as the CEO of the company, Mr. Kumar works towards building its reputation further. An MBA graduate with 33 years of experience in Sales & Marketing, he has worked in different industry sectors including Trade & Rural Marketing, Training & General Management. He has also worked with several global brands like Gillette, Horlicks, Aquafresh, Panadol, Lucozade and Ribena, Sundrop and Dainik Bhaskar. 

Hence it was only natural that there was a lot to gain from his experiences, which is one of the major aims of these sessions in the first place. They are designed to ensure that students get an exposure to real industry dealings and trends, which broadens their horizons to a great extent. Mr. Kumar on his part did just that by offering students insight into the secrets of sales and marketing. “You have to make a difference. Secondly, you have to understand your consumers, only then will you be able to convince them,” he said.

Mr. Kumar talked about his own experiences with different noteworthy brands he has worked with and helped students understand the difference between classrooms and real world corporate life. He also stressed on the fact that the time of academic learning was important for students and they should make the most out of it. “Quantitative skills are important and you need to understand the business environment as well. That means you have to get your basics right and now is the best time to do that,” he emphasized.

As Mr. Kumar was talking of his own journey from a management student to a successful corporate professional, his words resonated with the gathering and had a deep impact. But he reminded the students that their personal life journey was of importance too. “You need to build on your skills and evolve every day to change the environment we are living in. Communication and storytelling are two important aspects of management and they can only be learned through personal life journey,” he said thoughtfully.

The audience was held in rapt attention throughout the session, which was brought to a close by Mr. Kumar as he offered management aspirants tips for their future. “Find your domain of occupational interest. Keep yourself abreast with the current issues and most importantly, know your strengths and weaknesses,” he stated. The student gathering had got what they’d hoped for from the session, but Mr. Kumar had a parting shot to leave them with. “Information is power but too much information is paralysis,” he said amidst huge applause.

Mr. Vinu Peter, HR Functional Consultant at IHTS Softwares reveals helpful HR secrets to students at Industry Institute Interface session held at SCMS Cochin

Students pursuing their PGDM program at SCMS Cochin School of Business recently had an opportunity to listen to Mr. Vinu Peter, HR Functional Consultant at IHITS Softwares, deliver an inspiring talk. Mr. Peter was invited at the institute as a part of a Industry Institute Interface session that SCMS Cochin focuses on to ensure that its students get exposure to the real world of management.  Throughout his talk, Mr. Peter not only offered students an insight into the life of a successful management professional but inspired them to achieve greater things in their careers as well.

Mr. Peter is a known name in the world of HR after gathering years of experience working in the field. He used to work as Vice President, HR at Choice Group of Companies and has climbed up the success ladder over the years. So he knew exactly what he was talking about when he said to the gathering, “Chase excellence in your career and success will follow. Enjoy what you do otherwise you will be forever dissatisfied with the kind of work you do,” was his helpful advice to the students looking forward to their future careers.

Mr. Peter had instantly managed to build a bond with the young management aspirants in the crowd, who will have to grapple with several doubts and questions during their professional journeys. But there was one thing he wanted students to be clear about; that job happiness and satisfaction are two completely different things. It made a lot of sense to students who were looking to have more of their questions answered during the session that touched upon important elements of the big transition towards being a professional.

According to Mr Peter, a lot depends on candidates’ resumes. “The importance of writing a good resume cannot be overemphasized. You cannot simply copy paste it because an HR professional will see through it instantly. We need to see that your resume has been written genuinely,” he said to the students. He also urged them to be prepared for everything in the future, including a small presentation they’d have to make. Only when they have been prepared well can they add value to the listeners, he added.

Mr. Peter was definitely adding a lot of value to the session that had the gathering in rapt attention. One of the highlights of the session was the fact that he often drew on his own experience to drive a point home with his audience. He talked about how he might not have ever used some of his learning in any aspect of his life. But that didn’t mean one students should be dissatisfied when they have to understand the meaning of learning certain courses or subjects. It was a remark that resonated with the gathering.

As a parting shot, Mr. Peter stressed on the importance of sharing knowledge, which is a good way to learn. He also asked them to, “Make time for entertainment and your passions while you are focussed on your careers. It adds flavour to your life.”